Life Debt
by mehrunnisa
Summary: My version on what happened the night that James Potter saved Snape's life, thus creating a 'life debt'. No slash, no pairings at all. Oneshot.


_"…… anyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey _

_one evening as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought _

_it would be-- er-- amusing, to tell Snape that all he had to do was prod the knot on _

_the tree trunk…… and he'd be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried _

_it…… but your father, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled _

_him back, at great risk to his life……" --- Remus Lupin, Prisoner of Azkaban, page 357_

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"You did WHAT?!?" James shouted in disbelief.

"Relax, nothing bad i-"

"Of course something bad is going to happen! Padfoot, you _do _realize that Moony will kill Snape as soon as look at him!" James cried, enraged. Sirius shrugged his shoulder.

"He deserves it."

James sat still for a moment, thinking. True, Snape _did _deserve it, but… James rolled his eyes. He couldn't let this happen. He sprung up reluctantly, quickly grabbing his Invisibility Cloak and the Marauders Map.

"Come on, Wormtail."

Peter obediently morphed into a rat, following James out the door.

"Oh, sure. Go ahead, act _noble _and ruin my fun." Sirius called, sulking.

James ignored him as he ran out of the empty Gryffindor Common Room, Peter trailing behind him. James silently cursed Sirius's stupidity. _The idiot, I wonder if he thinks at all? And now **I'm **the one saving _Snivellus_ and his greasy nose. _

Finally, as they ran out of the school completely, invisible, James spotted Snape. He silently crossing the field, almost impossible to see in the quickly darkening sky. Snape was dangerously close to the dormant Whomping Willow.

"Snape! Wait!" James yelled hastily. Snape spun around, alarmed, and he pulled out his wand.

"Don't go any further!" James warned, taking off his Invisibility Cloak and whipping out his wand. Peter quickly changed back into human form, his wand arm shaking nervously. Peter immediately began to wish that he hadn't come along at all. Snape's eyes widened for a split second with what seemed to be fear, but then he resumed his inscrutable expression immediately, his wand ready.

"W-What do you want, Potter?" Snape yelled in his dull, drawn out voice.

"Listen, _Snivellus,_ don't go any further." James said, raising his wand. Snape's wand hand was shaking the slightest bit in anticipation, waiting to be attacked.

"Give me one reason why I should listen to you." he snapped back. James bit his bottom lip, cautiously watching the sky. The sun was barely a minute away from setting. Peter stood there silently, also casting nervous glances at the darkening sky.

"Come on, _Snivellus_! We have to get out of here!" James yelled urgently. Snape ignored him. Without turning around, Snape inched closer and closer to the gigantic tree, wand still ready.

"_Expelliarmus_!" James shouted, getting Snape off guard as he was getting closer to the tree. Snape's wand flew out of his hand.

"COME ON! We have to leave!" James shouted at the wandless Snape. James didn't want to attack him, then Snape _definitely _wouldn't listen to him.

_I wonder if he'll listen to me even if I don't hex him… _James thought anxiously.

"Why? What's going to happen?" Snape yelled back.

"Wormtail, I'd go back if I were you." That wasn't a request. It was an order, and Peter didn't hesitate to obey.

The sun was setting rapidly.

"YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING GIT! **_COME ON_**!" James shouted furiously. Snape just stood there, confused if he should listen to the person who caused him pain ever since he came to Hogwarts, or not.

James quickly looked towards the sky again. The sun had set, and the full moon was out, clouds passing across it. James eyes widened, and he was about to scream at Snape, but something interrupted him. A loud, monstrous growl sounded, and Snape jumped. He took that moment to quickly get his wand.

"RUN!" James yelled, sprinting back towards the school. Snape followed fearfully, quick looking over his shoulder. Unmistakably, a long distance back, there stood a full grown, blood-thirsty werewolf.

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**A/N: Hi, this is my first Harry Potter fanfic!!! I was reading the Life Debts part in What Will Happen in Book 7 , so I was intirgued to write my version of what happened. The Marauders are both so interesting to me, I had to write something about them. Hope ya enjoyed :)**

**R&R, please and thankyou!**


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